Although I can gain a lot from student completing their final drafts as a form of assessment, I still need to give them a test before they start their next unit. From their final draft of this unit I can assess my teaching, how well students can use their resources when they get stuck and what I need to teach next. I can not assess however how students independently can use the writing process under a different prompt. I will truly see where students are at in their writing at this point in the year (at this point we are a month away from the end of the semester). This will be my next step.

Reflection of Writing as a form of assessment

Performance Tasks: Reflection of Writing as a form of assessment

Final Draft of Writing Piece Using Multiple Text Structures

Final Draft of Writing Piece Using Multiple Text Structures

Unit 5: Text Structures Project
Lesson 10 of 11

Objective: SWBAT complete their final draft by using peer feedback, a rubric and mentor texts.

Big Idea:
Finalize it!

In my lesson openers I always have a "connect" in which I connect students' thinking about yesterday's lesson to today's lesson. I then have a "teach" in which I model for students the lesson of the day and also have them try it out. When I think about my modeling I use three categories; skill, strategy, and process. I model by stating the skill to the students, then giving them a strategy in which to use the skill, followed by the process to try out the strategy.

Connect: I will say, “Today you are going to take all of your feedback, your rubric and your resources to compose a final draft.

Teach: I will say, “In order to complete a formal or final draft, I am going to practice the skill of using any all of my resources complete my final draft. I will use the strategy of using feedback, the rubric and my resources (all should be in the writing portfolio). The process I will use is as follows:

1) Re-read any feedback I have received from peers and adults for past projects

3) Use my mentortexts and other resources given to me throughout the unit.

4) Have 1-3 in front of me as I write

I will model for students how I start my final draft, but stop and think to myself along the way. I will say to myself for example, “Hmm….I should fix________based on my peer feedback? The rubric says I should…..I could add this here. Is this the best sentence I should use….oh there’s the sentence anchor chart.”

Resources (1)

Resources

Active Engagement: I will say,”Get out everything you need to be successful with your draft today.. Read through the all of the feedback you have received. Hold up your draft with feedback (wait for everyone to hold their’s up in their hands). Hold up your rubric (wait for everyone to hold their’s up in their hands). Hold you your writing portfolio and point to the section in your notebook which holds your resources (wait for everyone to hold their’s up in their hands).”

Closing of Active Engagement: I will say, “Remember successful writers show their best skill as a writer by using skill of using all of their resources and the strategy of using their resources as they think through their final draft. They re-read any feedback they have received, re-read the rubric and use all their resources as they compose their formal or final draft.”

Independent Practice: I will say,“Now you are going to write your final draft. As they are working independently and quietly, (I like to play classical or smooth jazz for“writing”music(I just create a play list on Pandora Internet radio) I will not confer with them about their writing. I want to insure students are taking everything they have leanred and are writing indepdently. If students have questions I can refer them back to the their resources, I am not coaching into their writing. Their final draft is a form of assessment.

They will have the rest of the period for writing and then I have them finish their draft for homework. If their independent writing stamina is low, I may give them another day in class for the first unit. This will be something that will have to be built upon as writers in order to build independence.

I believe that the end of the lesson should be an assessment of the days’ learning; therefore it should be independent work. I always end class with an “exit ticket” in which students write down the response to a question.

Closing: For closing today I will do a whole class share out. I will ask the class, “What is your plan for finishing your final draft for homework tonight? What resources do you need to make sure you have at home? Turn and tell your partner.” I will check for understanding by asking every level of learner what they heard their partner say (at least 3 students-one who is at standard, one is approaching standard, and one who is above standard). I will tell students they must come tomorrow with their final draft published or it will be a minus ten for every day it is late.